Ritual
by shynerdylady
Summary: A what-if scenario between a very in love Fem!Cousland and Alistair pertaining to Morrigan's Dark Ritual.


_I wrote this a while back while I was playing my second run-thru of Dragon Age. My grammar is not very good, but I love writing and the story of Dragon Age inspired me to write out more detailed moments of the game that I enjoyed, and wanted to further delve in to. I hope you like it!_

_*I came across this and wanted to update it. :) I hope I've edited it to a better place haha. Thanks again for reading!_

* * *

After a quick knock, Emma pushed open the door to the room where Alistair resided. Her heart weighed heavily in her heart as she looked upon him before her.

Alistair looked up from sitting at the edge of his bed. He was in the middle of taking off his boots. A tired smile spread across his lips at the sight of her. As he moved to greet her, the dark expression on her face furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?" he asked as he dropped his right boot to the floor and stood to face her, watching as she closed the door behind her.

He suddenly recalled seeing Morrigan meandering outside of Emma's room as he had found his way to his quarter's that evening.

"I saw Morrigan earlier... did she say something to you?" he asked firmly.

Emma looked up into his eyes and felt her heart sink even farther down into her chest. She placed a hand over her heart, as if it would cover up the hurt at what she was about to ask him. She took in a deep breath. "She did."

He asked without pause, "What did she say?"

Emma looked away from him, trying hard not to let her emotions overwhelm her. This was for the both of them, after all. It would save them both...

She strode over to the end of the bed, sitting on the hope chest at the foot of it. She brought her hands together in her lap and bit her lip, mustering the will to speak what she came to say.

Alistair began to feel the ominous nature of Emma's actions seep into him. "Emma, did something happen? Is something wrong?" his voice softer than before.

She felt her lip tremble and had to mentally shake herself back in order. She looked up at Alistair. "I know of a way, so that neither of us has to die tomorrow."

A smile and sigh escaped him, "Wow, you had me worried there. That's pleasant enough news, haha," he chuckled. He watched as her expression saddened further before his eyes at his words, causing his smile to disappear. "Or maybe not. What do you mean by neither of us dying tomorrow?" he asked, concern wrinkling his brow.

"I mean," Emma started. She stood again and walked away from him, keeping her back to him. "Morrigan knows of a ritual that can be performed... she needs someone to impregnate her."

Alistair almost laughed. "Wait, _impregnate_ her? Morrigan? Hold on. Are you, are you asking _me_ to do this?" his face held the expression of being teased.

Emma didn't turn, and she didn't speak. Her left hand lifted to her lips as she pressed the back of her hand against them, trying to hold in the emotions that overwhelmed her.

"Oh wait, is this a joke?" Alistair smirked. He couldn't believe what Emma had said and what he assumed was true. "This is for all the jokes, right? All the teasing? Ha! Maker, you almost had me there," he laughed.

Alistair's laughter tormented her. She felt a tear slide down her cheek at the sound of his voice, at how happy he sounded thinking it was all a joke.

His smile left just as quickly as it had appeared. "Oh... by the Maker, you're serious?" he asked at the sight of the tear on her cheek. "You really do want me to sleep with her?"

Emma scoffed. "Of course I don't!" she yelled. "But I don't want you to die! I don't want to take a chance that that could happen when there was a way to avoid it!" her voice was thick with despair at her request.

Alistair had never seen Emma cry. He'd thought her emotionally resolute and possibly unable to do so. To hear the crack in her voice as she revealed her fear of his death pulled on every fiber of his being. He'd known she cared for him, but never imagined that she feared for him; for his life. Seeing her now, he felt silly thinking that. All their time spent together up until that moment...

It was as he felt for her. There was no way in hell he was going to let her take the final blow against the archdemon. He could see in her eyes that she guessed at his intentions, that being the reason she was asking him to do this.

"I can't, risk the chance, Alistair. That's something I can't and won't do," she looked to him as she blinked another tear. "Please. If something were to happen, or go wrong... I couldn't live knowing I'd lost the very thing I've fought so hard to protect," her hands went to her mouth as she began to sob at her dark thoughts.

"Emma," he reached out and pulled her into his arms. He felt his heart tremble along with her as she sobbed into his chest, unable to hold back her emotions any longer. He pressed her to him as he kissed the top of her head, laying his cheek over where he had kissed. "Please don't cry," he asked her softly.

Emma couldn't stop. Everything she felt for him wouldn't be contained within her any longer.

They'd been side by side for almost an entire year, and in that year they'd spent only the briefest of moments together. It was always duty first. Save the world and everyone in it from the Blight and the darkspawn. But that was their task and neither complained of it. But that didn't mean they felt any less for one another.

"Emma I'll do it," Alistair gently pulled her away, cupping her face in his hands as she sniffled back up at him. "I'll do it to be with you forever. I want to be with you forever," he brought his lips down on top of hers. Emma reached her arms around his neck and kissed him back, her love and passion for him overwhelming them both in that moment. They kissed and kissed, having only done so a handful of times before and releshing the moment to do so.

They parted only inches from the other, looking into each other's eyes. Alistair brushed her cheek with his hand, sliding his fingers up into her hair as he smiled down at her. He couldn't believe this beautiful, strong, resourceful woman who rivaled any man or beast was in love with him. He felt like the luckiest man alive when he was in her arms.

"You are so beautiful," he kissed her, pulling away to gaze upon her again.

"As you are handsome, dear Alistair," Emma touched his cheek and smiled. As she looked upon her love, she remembered why she was there and her smile faded. She sighed as she looked down at his chest, thinking of what she had asked him to do. She picked at the collar of his shirt as she tried to hide how much she didn't want him to do it.

Reality hit him as well, and his heart lurched with despair at the task before him. It wasn't enough that they had to fight the entire darkspawn horde tomorrow. And kill the archdemon.

"Alright, where is Morrigan?" he asked reluctantly.

"She is in her room," Emma answered quietly. She looked up at him once more, eyes welling with tears once again. "Thank you, for doing this."

He caught the first tear with his thumb. He hugged her to him, stalling the moment for as long as possible.

Emma felt herself begin to loose her control and pulled him away from her. "I... I'm sorry," she looked up at him with trembling lips. "I love you," she said quickly as she went to the door, leaving him without looking back.

Alistair didn't move. He just continued to stare at the door, dreading leaving the room.

Emma walked briskly to her quarters, closing the door behind her and falling against it as she whimpered to herself. As much as she knew Alistair loved her and would always love her, the thought of him bedding another woman for any reason broke her heart. The other woman being Morrigan didn't help ease her pain.

Morrigan had been in the shadows at the end of the hall, watching on at Emma's hurried departure from Alistair's room. The mage would never show nor admit it, but she regretted what needed to be done in order to save their lives, only at how much it was hurting her only real friend.

She turned and headed back to her room to wait for Alistair.


End file.
